5 Short and Quick Steps to Creating Your First Web Site

Don't you long for someone to clearly lay out how to make a website and get it put up on the Internet for all to see? And don't you long for someone to explain it without the smoke and mirrors, the deliberate confusion and the exotic terminology to mystify and make it seem a branch of computing with a capital 'C'?

Well, I know I did. Yet, anyone wanting to start out on the Internet, although perfectly capable off-line, may get to feel like a dummy when it comes to starting out online. Just the sheer volume of competing and distracting information available is enough to get you banging your head on the table in frustration.

There is, of course, a huge amount of information but it often fails to consider the complete beginner's question, 'Where do I start and how do I do it?'

This is something the pros, who have grown up with and often made the Internet what it is today, do not consider when they expound ever more complex strategies and the latest of the advanced pieces of software. Novices, however, need a clear and simple path to follow so that they can get some experience behind them and then the confidence to adopt the more esoteric possibilities that abound.

Although I now have many sites, I well remember the confusion not only about how to build a site, but then the terror about 'sending' (uploading or 'putting' in jargonese) to the hosting company the first few times.

Well, let me see if I can rectify this situation, and get you started with a formula that even I would have understood if I had had it when I was starting with my first site.

So, what is the first thing to do?

Well, the order is debatable, but we can break the process down into just 5 Clear Steps.

1. First, you really do need to think about what your intentions are and what you hope to do on-line. If, for example, you merely want to have your thoughts recorded for posterity - or a group of friends, then a blog (think online diary) could well the way to start. Usually free to use and maintain, they are the simplest and quickest way to begin. If you are thinking of something more 'businesslike' then, read on.

2. For someone hoping to operate a business or community site -and assuming you are not an expert of HTML (the basic language of the web), you will need to get yourself a sensible piece of site building software. Free is possible, but be prepared for no or slow customer support and bugs that do not get fixed or attended to promptly. (You will also find that 'free' often means expenses elsewhere - either in 'additional services' that are often included in the commercial packages or limitations that have to be overcome. And your time, remember, should not be counted as free, viz. Economics 101.) Rather, a robust and supported software is preferable, as well as one that does not require a PhD in Computing to follow the manual.

3. Next, you will need to think of a name for your site. Once you've done that, get it registered at a domain registration service. This should cost no more than a yearly fee of $10 (down from $70 or more just a few years ago!).

4. Now, you will need a reliable 'hosting' company. This is essentially another set of computers -'servers' - that make your site accessible 24/7 to other computer users. Monthly packages are available and are probably the best as you are not locked into a poor service for long and they have to work hard to maintain customer satisfaction. Think around $8-$10 a month for this. You will then transfer your new domain name to the hosting company if they are different.

5. Finally, you will 'upload' your site to your hosting company. This is the scariest part of all for newcomers - I know, I was worried that if I made a mistake I would possibly blow-up my hosting company's system when I first tried. LOL. They have rebuilt, now, though, I hear.

There, 5 Steps to Getting Online! Essentially, that is what it is all about. Alright. I know. The devil is in the details. But at least you now know what to look for. I wish I had understood that when I was starting out. But now you do, so go to it. Good Luck.